When I was young I already visited the coast of Algarve but never had I made it to Lisbon before. So when my friend told me he wanted to guide me to the most picturesque places there I didn’t hesitate for a second.
Lisbon is only a short flight away from Brussels and is becoming more and more popular due to Social Media. I opted to go for 4 days/3 nights which is more than enough and also provided us with the possibility of visiting Sintra.
Read on for my Lisbon guide, the best activities to do, cute places to eat and where to stay!
If you can only plan a short stay make sure to read this 24 hours in Lisbon guide!
Where to stay
When choosing a hotel in Lisbon it’s important to have an idea of which area you would like to stay in. Bairro Alto and Alfama are the older parts of the city and Chiado is the shopping district.
Tiled houses in Alfama Steep hills in Bairro Alto
- The Lumiares Hotel & Spa – located in Bairro Alto right next to one of the most famous tram lines in Lisbon. The shopping streets are 10 minutes away and so is Rossio train station.
For a full review click here
Where to eat
- Tartine – One of Lisbon’s best bakeries and the perfect place for a brunch or lunch. Their salads are decent portions and won’t let you leave hungry.
- Povo Lisbo – a cute tapas bar with live entertainment in the evening.
- Sol e Pesca – a little fish restaurant where the sardine cans are stacked up until the ceiling.
- Lumi Rooftop Bar – offers one of the best views of Lisbon and the octopus salad is to die for!
What to do
- Visit Belem Tower – One of the most stunning pieces of architecture in Lisbon. It used to be part of the Tagus defence system and even has a few cells in the basement.
- Price: €6 (free on the first Sunday of each month!)
- Opening hours: 10am – 5 pm (closed on Monday)
- Explore Bairro Alto and Alfama – One of the top things to do in Lisbon is wander around the small streets of Bairro Alto. It’s the most popular regions to visit in Lisbon and around every corner you’ll find a cute café or a mural to admire. The cobblestoned roads wind up and down and can also be done by tram!
- Visit Casa do Alentejo – Feel like you stepped into a Morroccan Palace in the middle of Lisbon
- Go shopping – Lisbon has it all: luxury boutiques (Avenida Liberdade) and small local shops. Both of them will leave a mark on your wallet.
- Enjoy the nightlife – Once night falls Bairro Alto turns into one big outside bar. People are dancing on the street and enjoying a few drinks. Don’t be too surprised if you get offered drugs a couple of times while you’re walking down the street. My biggest advice here is to always be smart about it.
- Go on a day trip to Sintra – Over the last years Sintra has become more and more popular and for good reason. This picturesque little town is surrounded by the most gorgeous palaces. You can find a complete day- guide on Sintra below.
Visiting Sintra
Visiting Sintra is one of the most popular day trips from Lisbon and truly one you shouldn’t miss!
But if you have a little more time and you want to get out of the city an extra day grab a rental car and drive down to the Algarve coast!
What to know before you go
Getting around – No matter which castles you’ll visit or how many, prepare to be doing a serious amount of walking, so make sure to wear comfortable shoes.
Weather – The weather here is very unpredictable and nothing like the weather in Lisbon. The castles are located within a forest and can sometimes be completely surrounded by mist. Especially at Peña Palace it can be very foggy and cold in the morning.
Tickets – Tickets can be bought at the entrance of every castle or you can by them from before at a 5% discount on this website.
How to get there
How to get around in Sintra
434 bus (The first bus leaves at 9.15am)
- Sintra train station
- National Palace of Sintra
- Moors Castle
- Peña Palace
435 bus
- Sintra train station
- National Palace of Sintra
- Quinta da Regaleira
- Setais Palace
- Monseratte Palace
Where to eat
- Tascantiga – Located in the middle of Sintra, this place has a beautiful terrace and serves some of the best local dishes I had during my entire stay!
Which places to visit
Peña Palace
It’s the most colourful palace of them all and a must visit on your day trip to Sintra. Every tourist that visits Sintra will visit this place so try to go here first (take the bus at 9.15am, the gates open at 9.30am)
Ticket – €13,30
Tip: Once you go through the gates and go up towards the castle you will most likely bump into a cue. This is for visiting the palace rooms. If you only wish to walk around it and take photos on the outside (what I recommend), just keep on walking up past the cue.
Quinta da Regaleira
My personal favourite stop in entire Sintra. Visit here for the most beautiful gardens, hidden passageways and the famous initiation well.
Tickets – €6
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Charlotte Lint is the founder of Charlies Wanderings.
Charlotte has traveled all over the world and is based in Belgium where she also owns her very own dental practice.
She is an expert on writing efficient travel guides and finding unique places to stay.
Every month she helps over 134.000 people discover the most beautiful places in the world through her detailed travel guides.
arvinder says
Travel not to escape life, but so life doesn’t escape you.